2252. Even souls recently departed from earthly life, as well as spirits, are endowed with gifts beyond what they had in bodily life
The abilities endowed on souls after death, beyond those they had enjoyed in bodily life, you may see discussed elsewhere [400]. Moreover, those coming into the other life, depending on the societies they enter, engage to a greater or lesser degree in the activity of their former life, yet they are much more alert and sensitive, more acute, adept in understanding and sensing inwardly, than during the life of their body. This is because in the other life they are free of the impediments and hindrances of bodily life-the effects of objects of the senses, of a memory of sensory and material things, of concerns for the future, of different desires stirred up by objects. There are cares for so many things that in the other life go away together with the body. So when these are gone, they cannot fail to enter a more perfect state of understanding and sensing inwardly than they had as earthly beings. I have been given to observe this fact by ample experience.
2252. THAT SOULS, EVEN RECENTLY AFTER DEPARTURE FROM LIFE, AND SPIRITS, ARE ENDOWED WITH MORE EXCELLENT GIFTS THAN WHAT THEY POSSESSED IN THE LIFE OF THE BODY. [Multa dote polleant, prae vita sua in corpore.]
(Concerning the faculties with which souls are gifted after death superior [prae] to what they enjoyed in the life of the body, see elsewhere. Besides, those who come into the other life possess in a greater or less degree, according to societies, the activity of their former life; but still, they are much more prompt and more sensible, and sagacious, and quicker to understand and perceive, than when they lived in their body, by reason that in the other life they are without such impediments and stays [remoris] as [belonged to them] in the life of the body. In the life of the body the objects of the sense are active [agunt], the memory of sensuals and materials, anxieties as to the future various cupidities excited by objects, are active: there are cares for many things, all of which are removed in the other life. Wherefore when these are removed, they cannot but be in a more perfect state of understanding and perceiving than when they were men. Sufficient observation of this from experience has been granted me.
2252. Quod animae etiam recens post excessum e vita, et spiritus multa dote polleant, prae vita sua in corpore
De facultatibus, quibus donantur animae post mortem, prae iis quibus 1
gavisi in vita corporis alibi videas [400]; praeterea, ii qui in alteram vitam veniunt, secundum societates majorem minoremve vitae suae prioris activitatem habent, at usque multo promptiores sensibiliores sunt sagaciores habiliores intelligendi percipiendi, quam dum in corpore suo vixerunt, ex causa, quod in altera vita sint absque talibus impedimentis remoris, ut in vita corporis, in vita corporis agunt sensuum objecta, agit memoria sensualium materialium, agunt sollicitudines de futuris, agunt cupiditates varie excitatae ab objectis, sunt curae pro multis, quae omnia cum corpore remota sunt in altera vita, quare iis remotis non possunt non in perfectiori statu esse intelligendi percipiendi, quam dum homines fuerunt, quod experientia satis observare mihi datum est.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has quae